Generic 'Arrested Development' Pun

Yes, technically this is called Tony’s Talking: Movies.
Based on that title, one could very easily assume that this space is reserved
for discussion on movies. Which is correct. However, some folks believe change
is good, so I’m going to heed that advice and try something a little different.

In Defense of Nicolas Cage

In this very space, the acting of one Nicolas Cage has been
mocked. More than once. Sometimes it’s because of his bizarre habit of shaking
his fingers next to his head while explaining something. Sometimes it’s because
of the faces that he makes when performing or the pacing of his speech.
Whatever the reason, though, it always seemed appropriate to mock his acting
talent, or perceived lack thereof. However, is the grief that the general
public gives Cage truly warranted?

Oscars 2013: What Did We Learn?

With the Oscars officially in the rearview mirror, we can
finally stop talking about how bad the Academy dropped the ball in the Best
Director category and the (really random) internethatredof Anne Hathaway, but
not until I get one more column out of it.

Oscars 2013: The Best to Never Win

As previously discussed, it would seem that every actor is
capable of giving an award-worthy performance. Many times, after that one
performance, the performer will go back to the same level of (mediocre)
performances and if that great performance happens to be the first, or one of
the first, performances of an actor’s career, it is often downhill from there.
(See: Berenger, Tom)

Oscars 2013: Best Director

As Oscar Season draws to a close, “Argo” has all the
momentum riding into Sunday nights. It has won the equivalent of Best Picture
at basically every awards show held over the past two months. Prior to the
Golden Globes, Las Vegas had put 7-2 odds on “Argo” winning the Golden Globe
Best Picture. In fact, it has now passed “Lincoln” as the favorite (Probably.
Gambling numbers are confusing) and is the most popular bet to grab.

All the attention and accolades really does beg the question,
though, of how this happened. “Argo” was not a movie that was supposed to
garner this attention. As previously mentioned in this very space, the film’s
director Ben Affleck was not nominated for Best Director, a situation that has
produced only three Best Picture winners in history. Clearly, when nominations
were announced way back in the beginning of January, the perception of “Argo”
was that of a good, not great, movie.

Oscars 2013: First Time Nominees

The Academy
Awards are a few weeks ago and, as a result, “Tony’s Talking: Movies” will be presenting
several Oscar-related posts in the weeks leading up to the awards.

Of the 20 acting-related nominees this year, four are first-time nominees
or less than half the number of first-time nominees from last year. Generally,
the number of first-time nominees fall somewhere between those two and, in
hindsight, some signal the beginning of a great career and others are an odd
footnote in a performer’s career. This year, one of the first-time nominees,
Quvenzhané Wallis, was born in 2003 and was
appearing in her first film. A second, Emmanuelle Riva, does not make
English-language movies and, as a result, it is nearly impossible to get on the Academy’s radar. The
other two Oscar virgins, though, present an interesting question and could
perfectly bookend what a first Oscar nomination can do.

"Argo" to the top?

On Sunday night, “Argo” won the Screen Actors Guild Award
for Best Ensemble, which is their equivalent of a Best Picture. Several weeks
ago, it also won Best Picture in the Drama category at the Golden Globes and Ben
Affleck won Best Director. Producers Guild Award and Critics Choice award were
also clinched for the film. Based on these results, it would be fair to assume
that “Argo” is now one of the frontrunners for Best Picture at the Academy
Awards. However, there is one little (actually enormous) problem with that line
of reasoning: Ben Affleck was somehow not nominated for the Best Director
Oscar.

Thoughts on the Golden Globes

The Golden Globes were held on Sunday night and while the
awards do not carry the prestige of the Academy Awards, many people believe
that the Globes can be helpful in helping provide some insight into which films
and performers may be considered favorites at the Oscars. However, based on
recent history, the Golden Globes and the Oscars rarely seem to mesh up.